Malone man who wanted murder to look like bear mauling jailed

MALONE, N.Y. (AP) — A New York man who plotted to kill his ex-girlfriend and make look like a bear mauling is going to prison for trying to hire someone to kill her in a staged car crash.

Franklin County prosecutors say Clyde Gardner gave up on his first plan: He'd kill a bear, skin it and wear the pelt while using its claws to kill the woman as she was taking out her garbage.

An acquaintance alerted police after Gardner asked the man to kill the ex-girlfriend and gave him advice on how to stage a car accident.

Gardner is a 57-year-old junkyard owner from Malone and an experienced demolition derby driver. He pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in July. He was sentenced Wednesday to five to 15 years in prison.